White Emperor
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After war, Byakuya is given the task of healing Haschwald and establishing a connection between the shinigami and quincy noble houses to encourage peace. As the two interact, an odd connection begins to form. Slowly, the two men begin to realize that they have more in common than they thought…yaoi, mpreg…Byakuya/Haschwald, Bazz-B/Renji, Ichigo/Tetsuya


**White Emperor**

**By Spunky0ne**

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**(After the quincy war, Byakuya is given the task of healing Haschwald and establishing a connection between the shinigami and quincy noble houses, so as to encourage peace. Sometimes the relations are not so peaceful, but as the two interact, an odd connection begins to form. Slowly, the two men begin to realize that they have more in common than they thought…yaoi, mpreg…Byakuya/Haschwald, Bazz-B/Renji, Ichigo/Tetsuya)**

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**Chapter 1: Icy Relations**

The soft buzzing that had filled Haschwald's mind for how long, he wasn't sure, finally began to recede, leaving him aware, but unable to move. The quincy officer wondered, at first, if he had entered death and was just adjusting to his surroundings. But the gradual return of the stinging sensations on his skin told him that he had somehow been rescued. He reeled at the information, wondering how it could be possible.

_I, of all people, know what happens when Auswhalen is used. A silver clot forms in the heart, and death may come slowly, but it always comes. So, even though I have not died, I am sure that death will come soon. I only hope it reaches me before the shinigamis can do anything to make my existence more unbearable._

_I understand why they would._

_I am their enemy._

He tried opening his eyes and was met with a blurred jumble of images. He saw shades of steely grey above him and soon recognized that he was looking up into a familiar man's eyes.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," he said quietly.

"You know me?" Byakuya asked calmly.

"We gathered extensive information on all of the taichos and fukutaichos. Yes, I know who you are."

His eyes cleared slightly and his brow furrowed at finding himself, not in a cell, but in a comfortable bed in what looked to be a noble residence. He noted, too, the soft restraints on his wrists, waist and ankles.

"Is this Kuchiki Manor?" Haschwald asked, "I thought it was destroyed."

"It was," Byakuya confirmed, "Fortunately, it had already been evacuated and my family and staff were safely sealed away. Not only that. This retreat was well out of harms way."

"Odd," the quincy officer mused, "I had thought that our initial attack came as a surprise to you."

"It did," Byakuya admitted, leaning forward slightly and opening Haschwald's clothing to address several healing wounds on his chest, "It is just that the one I left to watch over the clan was well prepared and he was able to evacuate everyone. My household only lost a few fighters. Other noble families were not so lucky."

"I heard."

Haschwald watched in silence as Byakuya checked his wounds, then applied a measure of healing power before replacing the bandages.

"I suppose it makes sense that you are the one healing me," he went on after a moment, "Most of your comrades probably would just as soon kill me. You…would probably like to as well, but you are bound by your commitment to honor the law."

Byakuya gave him a measured look out of the corner of his eye.

"Laws can be circumvented," he commented, "If I wanted you to die, I would find a way to make that happen."

"And yet, you choose to heal me? An officer of the ones who came to your home with the purpose of staining it with your blood?"

"We stopped you," Byakuya said, sitting back, "There was no need to continue the bloodshed after your king was dead. It seems he took most of his supporters with him. Only a few have survived."

"Who?"

Byakuya gave him a dark look.

"I am not at liberty to say," the noble answered, "All you need to know is that an effort is being made to make sure that our societies do not end up in another bloody conflict like the last…or the one before it."

"And the one before that," Haschwald added, "But, you act as though you have some say about keeping me alive. Even though you managed to heal the wounds I accepted, you can't stop me from dying."

Byakuya gave him a dubious look.

"You mean because of the silver clot formed in your heart when Ywach invoked the _Auswhalen_?"

Haschwald's breath caught and his eyes darkened.

"You know about that?" he asked, "It seems strange, first, that you know about it and second, that you would be able to stop my death. Am I allowed to know how you will do that."

"It's already done," Kisuke said from the doorway to the bedroom.

"Urahara Kisuke," Haschwald greeted him in a low, displeased voice, "I should have suspected that if the shinigamis had figured out that information, you had to be involved."

"I know," Kisuke chuckled, "If there's trouble to be made, I'll be there."

Haschwald let out a slow, shuddering breath and turned his attention back to Byakuya.

"You say that the goal is to avoid another bloody conflict. I admit that you have my attention. How, exactly, do you plan to do that? Do you expect me to help you?"

"I hope to gain your cooperation, yes," Byakuya answered, meeting his eyes squarely, "But why don't you give me your impression? Tell me, do you think there is anything to be gained by us continuing to threaten and kill each other?"

"That all depends," Haschwald said solemnly, "Is Ywach really dead?"

"You cannot sense it? That his reiatsu has diminished?" Byakuya asked, looking mildly surprised.

"I took devastating injuries that are in the process of healing," the quincy officer surmised, "And in addition, your restraints are interfering with my absorption of reiatsu."

"My apologies," Byakuya said sincerely, "But until we ascertain your level of willingness to work with us on a peacetime agreement, I must keep you restrained."

"That is understandable."

The two paused their conversation as youthful, male attendant entered the room bearing a tray loaded with food. He set the tray in Haschwald's lap and Byakuya loosened the restraints just enough for the quincy officer to eat. Haschwald looked down at the finely cooked food, then back at Byakuya.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked, "Is the food not to your liking? You may request something else, if you have special needs or different likings."

"This is fine," Haschwald assured him, "You should just understand that it's a little confusing being alive when Ywach meant for me to die, and being treated so generously by an enemy. But then, you have already indicated that you want something. Is it just that you want to avoid another war, or is there something else influencing you?"

"I am curious," Byakuya confessed, watching him closely, "How do you feel about your king?"

"Why does it matter?" Haschwald asked, toying with the food on his plate, "You have told me that Ywach is dead."

"And so he is. But you must have feelings about him taking your powers, about him trying to steal away your life."

Haschwald considered quietly for a moment, then nodded.

"I do," he admitted, "But you won't understand. You see, all of us who were Sternritters were saved by Ywach. And after saving us, he gave us power to change our lives."

"But, he could also steal away the life he saved at any time," Byakuya pointed out.

"Let me ask you something," Haschwald suggested, "I have extensive knowledge about you. I know that you lost your wife, and that you have mourned Kuchiki Hisana for over fifty years. If someone told you that he could bring her back for one week, and at the end of that week, you and your dearest love would die, but together, wouldn't you at least be tempted by the promise of being with her again?"

Byakuya gazed back at Haschwald stoically and gave no answer.

"Every one of us who was saved by Ywach was in some great need. I was being horribly abused by an uncle who kept me only to augment his own power. Ywach killed him and freed me. He said that I was his other half. He gave me a place of honor near him."

"And after he used you to achieve what he wanted, he struck you down, himself. I must ask. Did your life mean so little to you that you would give it up for someone who would never sacrifice anything for you?"

It was Haschwald's turn to look back and say nothing.

"I learned something about sacrifice when I faced your comrade, As Nodt," Byakuya said, more softly.

"You are lucky to have survived that battle," Haschwald recalled, "You were thought to have died."

"I would have," Byakuya informed him, "had Squad Zero not intervened at the request of the king. Surviving that, I realized that sacrifice is sometimes necessary, but one who fights without regard for his own life can never protect anyone."

Haschwald gave Byakuya a curious look.

"Ywach never asked us to protect him…and he never promised to protect us."

Byakuya's face reflected a sudden expression of sympathy.

"You never had anyone you wanted to protect?" he asked.

Haschwald looked back at Byakuya for a moment, his mind hearing Bazz-B's cocky laughter and his heart flickering in response.

"Something tells me that there was someone," Byakuya surmised, "May I ask who?"

"I would rather not say," Haschwald said softly, looking down at the food in front of him and taking a few bites as Byakuya watched him, "I would like to thank you for your hospitality. Considering the nature of what we've just been through, I wouldn't have expected such gentle treatment."

"I told you," Byakuya reminded him, "We, in Soul Society are interested in forging a better relationship with the quincies, so that we can avoid another costly war."

"But, Ywach is dead," Haschwald argued, "and the Sternritters, who caused most of the deaths to your people, were mostly killed by Ywach, himself. Why are you interested at all in us?"

"Our interest is thus," Byakuya explained, "The war that we just suffered through took most of us by surprise, because after the last time our societies fought, our predecessors made the mistake of wanting to erase yours, the thought being that we could avoid another conflict by eradicating the enemy. That thinking was as short sighted as it was barbaric and wrong. The way to maintain peace is not to eradicate the quincies, but to understand and negotiate, once we have the ability to do so."

Haschwald considered quietly as he took another few bites of his food, then nodded.

"You could not avoid the war this time because after the last, the dregs of our society escaped and hid in the shadows, where we could bide our time and rebuild our strength."

"We incorrectly assumed that destroying your king would shatter your ability to harm us. But, sadly, although it took a thousand years, another king rose up, and he used stealth and deception, as well as the fact that most of us living now had no memory of the prior war, to blindside us. Logically, this time, it makes more sense to simply forge an alliance and agreement with the remnants of your people so that we will be more aware and we will have some warning if relations between our people begin to sour again."

"That does make sense," Haschwald agreed, "But, if I may ask, what do I have to do with all of this? Why did you choose to save me? What difference do you think that I will make?"

"You are the highest ranking officer that we were able to revive and heal," Byakuya answered.

Haschwald frowned.

"Ishida Uryu did not survive?" he asked solemnly, "He was named Ywach's heir."

"We know this. However, in our discussions with him and with Ishida Ryuuken, we have learned that it is their intent to abdicate that responsibility."

"Ah, I see," Haschwald replied, his expression growing troubled, "While the Sternritters are gone, there are the strong noble quincy lords who survived Ywach's purge when he seized power. He murdered many of them."

"He seemed to have a terrifying disregard for even his own people," Byakuya commented.

Haschwald sighed wearily, looking out the open garden doors.

"That is because, although the king before him had agreements with the noble families, the nobles had grown strong and disinterested in anything but maintaining as we were. They felt it was enough to leave things as they were. If not for Ywach seizing complete control by dominating them, he wouldn't have grown the support he needed to drive our people to war."

"And what do you think of his decision to do that?" Byakuya asked, "What, would you say, was gained from the war? Or was the war an avoidable mistake?"

Haschwald lowered his eyes, sipping at his tea.

"One would think the answer obvious, I suppose," he offered, "Because we lost the war, we lost whatever benefit would have come from winning."

"But, what would you or the survivors have gained if Ywach had completely destroyed us? Commander Haschwald, are you suggesting that you have no difficulty with the fact that Ywach built the foundation of his kingdom on the blood of his most dedicated followers?"

Haschwald turned his pale eyes on the Kuchiki leader, pain radiating beneath the fiercely calm surfaces.

"I told you. All of the Sternritters were saved in some way and given their powers by Ywach. While we did not know that he planned our deaths from the start, we certainly owed him for the extended lives and usefulness that we received."

Byakuya let his words digest for a moment before continuing.

"I had the opportunity to speak for a time with your Officer Bazz-B, both before and after the conflict, and…"

"Bazz-B is alive?" Haschwald exclaimed softly, his expression lighting with surprise.

Byakuya noted his reaction carefully.

"He is."

"I see."

"He told us that you were the one who struck him down, and that it was because of your connection to Ywach…the fact that his powers were switched with yours during the night, that you nearly killed him. Or, actually, you would have succeeded in killing him, had Orihime not been there to save him."

Byakuya chose his next words cautiously.

"May I assume from your reaction that Officer Bazz-B is the one whom you were referring to earlier? One whom you would have wanted to protect?"

"I did try to protect him from his own recklessness," Haschwald mused, returning his attention to his meal, "He constantly wanted to challenge me after Ywach chose me and not him as the highest commander."

"Officer Bazz-B told us that you did not ask for that position, but only accepted it because when Ywach made demands, people either obeyed him, or they were killed."

"That is true," Haschwald sighed, "although that wasn't why I agreed to go with him."

"Why did you decide to follow him, then?" asked Byakuya.

"I'm not sure," Haschwald admitted, "I suppose it was because of the way I grew up, I simply clung to whatever was strongest for my own survival. My uncle was horrible, but he was stronger than me, and I knew he would only hurt me more if I tried to leave him. Ywach was stronger than anyone I knew, and I suppose I thought that, by being close to him, I would be safe."

"And how does your friendship with Officer Bazz-B fit into that view of yourself?" Byakuya inquired.

Haschwald thought for a while before yielding a tentative smile.

"I am tempted to say that I clung to Bazz-B because he was strong, but really, I suppose it was because he wouldn't let me get away. He as loud and defiant, but, unlike most people, when he looked at me, he really seemed to see me. While others only noticed that I didn't have normal quincy powers, he encouraged me to perfect the one skill I did have…swordsmanship. Because of him, I became an expert in its use."

"So, perhaps it is as he portrayed it to us," Byakuya concluded.

"How was that?"

"Officer Bazz-B told me that Ywach convinced you that he gained everything from your friendship, while you gained nothing from being close to him."

"I did believe that. Yes," Haschwald confessed, lowering his eyes.

"And do you still?"

The quincy officer hesitated, then let out a long, shuddering breath.

"I knew all along that Bazz-B did give me something," he admitted in a barely audible voice, "He gave me protection. He gave me encouragement. But, most of all, he gave me loyalty and friendship. Ywach may have been stronger and he may also have given me greater power. But, everything he did, he did to gain something for himself. Bazz-B just gave to me because we were friends. He never asked me for anything but that friendship. I knew that he would have died to save me…and back then, I would have done the same."

Haschwald gazed down at his emptied plate and sighed resignedly.

"So, do you think that your leaders have misplaced their faith, thinking that I have the ability to put the remains of the quincy people back together?"

He made a sound of surprise at the genuine look of acceptance in the Kuchiki leader's dark eyes.

_How does this man, who suffered so much at our hands not hate all of us?_

"What I think," Byakuya answered, "is that our leadership was correct in thinking that the key to rebuilding your society lies in rebuilding your connection with Officer Bazz-B."


End file.
